They need people to accept donations at stores for three-hour shifts in Portsmouth, Petersfield, Southsea, Whiteley, Cosham, Leigh Park and Fareham.

Matt Wilkinson, Fareshare’s operations manager, said; ‘You don’t need any special skills or superpowers to be a hero against hunger this Christmas, you just need to stand in your local supermarket for a few hours, chat to shoppers and encourage them to give a little something if they can.

‘In just three hours, you could collect enough tins, cans and packets to provide 500 meals for people in need.

‘It’s a quick and easy way to make a practical difference, and it can be a lot of fun too, especially if you round up your friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, members of your book group. The more the merrier.’

People interested in volunteering for the event should go to fareshare.org.uk/heroes-against-hunger.